The Best Cheap Gaming Monitors For Sale on Amazon in 2019

A gaming monitor is what brings a video game to life.

High-end graphics cards are capable of drawing complex animations more than 100 times per second (that's the frame rate) and breaking those frames down into millions of individually detailed pixels (that's the resolution).

But all that gorgeous graphical data is lost when a computer monitor doesn't have enough pixels to show those details, or, can't refresh itself as quickly as the game's animation. This results in blurry motion, jittery images and key details being lost.

Today, there are gaming monitors with 4K pixel resolution, but they are expensive and often exceed the graphical capabilities of most gaming PCs (i.e. not worth it for many gamers).

Thankfully, there are inexpensive monitors that can refresh themselves 60 times per second (written as 60Hz) and have at least 1,080 pixels, top to bottom, stretched across a screen that measures 24-inches diagonally or larger. This refresh rate, resolution and size is the sweet spot for many gamers and cash-strapped artists doing photo- and video-editing work.

Here are the best-reviewed gaming monitors that have sold for $200 or less in the last 12 months:

This ViewSonic monitor is a popular choice among Amazon customers who are running a triple monitor setup. Many reviewers described the display as crisp and bright, though some criticized the monitor's out-of-the-box settings (and many agreed that the built-in speaker is poor). Some customers received a monitor with dead pixels and had to ask ViewSonic for a replacement under warranty.

Many Amazon customers were pleased to find a well-built, attractive, curved monitor at this price. Some reviewers say that gameplay is better at 75Hz and complained that the colors are washed out compared to similarly-priced monitors. Others criticized this monitor's power brick and short 3-foot cord.

This is a great monitor for console gamers, according to several Amazon customers who paired it with an Xbox One or PS4. Many reviewers disagree about this monitor's color and contrast, but the majority of reviews praise this monitor's refresh rate. Some customers say that the built-in speakers are poor.

Many Amazon customers didn't like the color and brightness on Aoc's 24" monitor when they first used it, but several reviewers were able to adjust it to their liking. This monitor gets high marks overall because many customers were thrilled to find a 144Hz FreeSync monitor at this price.

The response time on this Acer monitor is great, according to several Amazon customers who were happy to find a fast-refreshing FreeSync monitor at a bargain price. Some reviewers were disappointed that the monitor's stand wasn't very adjustable and that the screen darkened at certain viewing angles.